“I was very adamant about not
being called a jazz singer, but now I’ve embraced it. The way I approach music
is through jazz, so I’m a jazz singer.” – DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, 7May06,
The Washington Post

"The TEMPTATIONS were unique. There was no
group that had three lead singers. There was no group where every member was
over six feet tall. The TEMPTATIONS looked like you went to Central Casting and
you said, 'Okay listen, we wanna put together the super group - the super male
group.'" - Shelly Berger, Motown 40

"On a day I have to shift my passaggio on an 'E' vowel, I have phlegm." - JOHNNY H. BUTLER, III, baritone

"What they lack in voice and technique, they make up with
self-confidence." - MARIA CALLAS

"I have to be careful where I place my vowels so I'm not
singing on the mucus - BARBARA JUNE CARTER, soprano

"I'm not a jazz singer, blues singer or country singer.
I'm a singer that can sing rhythm & blues, that can sing jazz, that can sing
country. There's a big difference. In other words, I'm not a specialist." -
RAY CHARLES, "60 Minutes"

“As long as I’m singing
reasonably well and Pete is still playing well, there’s no reason why we can’t
still be doing this when we’re 90. I mean, it’ll look like shit, but it will
rock.” – ROGER DALTREY, "VH1 Rock Honors: The Who"

“I used to take amphetamines
until I realized that amphetamines didn’t go with being a good singer.” – ROGER
DALTREY, “Amazing Journey: The Who”

“I struggled more than
anything else to find a voice for this band.” – ROGER
DALTREY, “Amazing Journey: The Who”

"When I sing, I try to live the song or
live the emotion of the song. The space I'm in doesn't exist. It's another
world." - ROGER DALTREY

"I
have to tell you, the voice of GOD, if
you want to know, is ARETHA FRANKLIN." - MARIANNE FAITHFUL

"I admire people who know they can't sing.
There are so many people out there who can't sing, but they think they can, so
they sing a lot." - Ellen DeGeneres, 25Apr14

“SINATRA is the essence of
vocal style. This man has an innate quality of knowing what is good musically.
You can sum that up best by saying that he has musical integrity. Even when he
does a bad song, there’s a good quality in the presentation.” – SAMMY DAVIS
Jr., DownBeat Magazine, 22Aug56

"I don’t think there’s a
category for me. I like to be referred to as a good singer of good songs in
good taste.” – SHIRLEY HORN, 1991 Associated Press interview

"I would want to be known as a great
singer; that the records I've made and the performances that I've done to be
remembered. But the voice is the most important thing. The showmanship goes
along with it. But I want to be remembered for my vocal ability." - TOM
JONES

"BILLIE HOLIDAY, ARETHA FRANKLIN - they
are so subtle, they can milk you with two notes. They could go no further than
from 'A' to 'B' and they can make you feel like they told you the whole
universe. Oh yea, and Otis [Redding] - my man. But I don't know that yet. All I
got now is strength. But I think if I just keep singin' maybe I'll get it." -
JANIS JOPLIN

“When
people nowadays say that Elvis was the first white guy to sound black, I have to
shake my head; what can you do? At the time of ‘That’s My Desire’ [1947] they
were saying that I was the only white guy around who sounded black.” –
FRANKIE LAINE, 1987 interview

“I always think about Billie
Holiday. She was concerned with the world she lived in. I learned from
Billie. It isn’t about showing how good your voice is. It’s about saying
something.” – ABBEY LINCOLN, 7May06, The Washington Post

"Sing a song correctly and you live
forever." - ABBEY LINCOLN

“If he could only have
crawled out of his skin and listened to his own voice, he might have lived his
whole life differently.” – Baritone GEORGE LONDON on tenor MARIO LANZA’s
decision to choose a career in film as opposed to the operatic stage

"Never do a duet with someone who can sing better than
you - unless there are bills on your table." - E. Ethelbert Miller,
11Feb10 e-blog

“Having the presence of mind to react to any situation onstage is what makes the
best performers keep their spontaneity intact.” – MARNI NIXON, I Could
Have Sung All Night – My Story

“All
I ever wanted to do is perform. When I’m singing, I’m happy. I’m doing what I
can and this is my contribution to life.” – ANITA O’DAY, June 1999
Associated Press interview

“Every day I remind myself of all that I have been given… With singing, you
never know when you are going to lose the voice, and that makes you appreciate
the time that you have when you are still singing well. I am always thanking
God for another season, another month, another performance.” - ANITA
O'DAY

“It
is not always a matter of wild ovations and legendary performances. Sometimes
you are just happy to get through an opera without trouble.” - LUCIANO
PAVAROTTI, 1995 autobiography Pavarotti: My World

“Opera is music AND drama. I’m prepared to sacrifice the beautiful note for the
meaningful sound any time… I can make a pretty tone as well as anyone, but there
are times when the drama of a scene demands the opposite of a pretty sound.” –
BEVERLY SILLS, 1975 memoir Bubbles: A Self-Portrait

"I would like to be remembered as a man
who brought an innovation to popular singing." - FRANK SINATRA

“He really is the best
interpreter of my work than I could ever have hoped for.” - PETE TOWNSHEND
on ROGER DALTREY, "VH1 Rock Honors: The Who"

"I'd rather hear a singer do two songs
from memory than 10 songs from a book." - Unknown

"When I sing, trouble can sit right on my
shoulder and I don't even notice." - SARAH VAUGHAN

"All you really want to do is sing... just
sing. That's all... and along come folk who insist that's not enough." -
VANESSA RENÉE WILLIAMS, 11Feb12 Twitter

“I’ve followed my voice
rather than forcing it to emerge.” – LIZZ WRIGHT on finding her artistic
voice while recording The Orchard

"So many conductors just plow through the music
and never take the time to break down individual phrases with the singer. Lenny
[Leonard Bernstein] was the ultimate singer's conductor." - EILEEN
FARRELL, Can't Help Singing

"Through Leonard Bernstein, I learned a
truthfulness of interpretation which allows both the performers and the
listeners to reach beyond the world of music to the realm of the spirit." -
CHRISTA LUDWIG, In My Own Voice

"What we play is life." - LOUIS ARMSTRONG

"I think music changed when BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN came on the
scene. I think if it wasn't for BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, music would have gone in a
very scary direction. We may have gotten to where disco music ruled - and I
would've had to quit." - Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, guitarist

"I didn't like The Wiz and it wasn't because
black people were doing it. I didn't like The Wiz because it was a
badly made movie off a classic. Why are you remaking something unless you have
something better in mind?" - HARRY BELAFONTE, That's What
I'm Talkin' About

"There's no question that JIMI [HENDRIX] was incredibly
gifted. He was meant to play the guitar. But, by hell, he worked at it." -
Chas Chandler

"If
you can play the blues, you can do anything." -- RAY CHARLES,
RollingStone.com 15Dec05

"I thought, 'My God, this is
like Buddy Guy on acid.'" -- ERIC CLAPTON's first reaction to JIMI
HENDRIX's guitar playing

“Alas, all music jars when the soul’s out of tune.” – Altisidora in "Don
Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes

"Elvis was the first person
in music that I really identified with." – CHER

"Disco is funky when you take one record
at a time. It's just that they narrowed it down to one beat to try to corner the
market on a particular music. And when you do that with rhythm - talk about
something that will get on your nerves. Try to make love with one stroke.
Somebody will tell you to fax it in." - GEORGE CLINTON

"Some people have the sound, but no look -
perfectly alright. Some people have the look, but no sound - no good. Some
people have the sound and the look - don't hate. I actually always work on both
- that's me." - MONTE CROFT, Facebook 14Sep12

"Recorded music is basically free now. I
used to tour to promote a CD, but now I make a CD to promote a tour. I've moved
on and live with the new reality, but I do get frustrated when people do dumb
things." - PETER FRAMPTON, 4May10 on Facebook after learning
that someone had posted songs from his 1-week-old CD on YouTube

"Blues is like American Express. I don't leave home without it." -- BUDDY GUY,
RollingStone.com, 7Sep05

"There are no hard and fast rules. Sometimes you work for
free and get no credit or courtesy. That's why you make sure you do what you
love." - LALAH HATHAWAY,
Twitter

"I like 'Unsung' but I'd rather have a 'Behind the Music'
while I'm still breathing." - LALAH HATHAWAY,
Twitter

"I don't want to be a clown
anymore. I don't want to be a rock & roll star." -- JIMI HENDRIX

"Sometimes, all you can do... is sing." -
CISSY HOUSTON

"I work with musicians whose opinions I
respect and if they don't like something they don't hold back. They'll say,
'That really sucks' and 'You've lost it' and 'You're no good anymore.' And I
crawl away with my tail between my legs and I fear that kind of ridicule, but I
want them to like the music I'm bringing to them." - BILLY JOEL,
"Inside the Actors' Studio"

“He told me that every kind
of music has its own soul. You’ve got to be true to the soul of the music.” –
Quincy Jones on RAY CHARLES, “60 Minutes”

"KEITH did his homework very carefully.
JAGGER did his homework carefully. He had seen TINA TURNER, he had seen LITTLE
RICHARD. You learn from the best. All the great artists watched whoever was the
best out there and emulated them until it turned into their own particular
style." - Quincy Jones, The History of Rock 'N' Roll

"After listening to [JIMI HENDRIX's]
"Machine Gun" I have to take a nap." - LENNY KRAVITZ

"I like rock
& roll, man. I don't like much else." -- JOHN LENNON on his musical
tastes, RollingStone.com 8Dec05

"Do not fall in love with what you just played." - Leonardo Lucini,
string bass

“Hey
you! I told you to slow that nag down! Because of you, I almost heard the
opera!” – Groucho Marx in "A Night at the Opera"

“…and
if you hear something you know, please sing along. No wait – I take that back –
you can’t sing along – this is about me now – this is my show.” –
AUDRA MacDONALD, Live from Lincoln Center

"John could
write a mean song. He had a lot of venom in him. Whereas I had a happy
childhood." -- PAUL McCARTNEY on JOHN LENNON, RollingStone.com, 4Jan06

"You have to think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, but you have to
know that you're not." - BETTE MIDLER,
"Inside the Actors' Studio"

“They’re not looking for
talent. They’re looking for a look and a willingness to cooperate. And a woman
my age, no matter how well preserved, no longer has the look. And I’ve never
had a willingness to cooperate.” – JONI MITCHELL

"To be a musician, you have to be
honest... to be honest... to be honest." - BOBBY McFERRIN

"Whenever I'm onstage, I try my best not
to think that I'm performing. It's simply another part of my day." - BOBBY McFERRIN

"So, you play today! You don't worry
about what's gone, 'cause that's already gone and you can't bring what's gone
back. It doesn't happen that way. So, every day's a new day and just play it as
it comes. And I turned out to be a singer that was not on dope." - ANITA
O'DAY, The Life of a Jazz Singer

“Some
say the word ‘pop’ is a derogatory word to say ‘not important’ – I do not accept
that. If the word ‘classic’ is the word to say ‘boring,’ I do not accept.
There is good and bad music.” – LUCIANO PAVAROTTI, 2004 AP interview

“As
an art form, opera is a rare and remarkable creation. For me, it expresses
aspects of the human drama that cannot be expressed in any other way, or
certainly not as beautifully.” - LUCIANO PAVAROTTI, 1995 autobiography
Pavarotti: My World

"The Who never did sell out - unlike some music
channels." - Sean Penn, "VH1 Rock Honors"

"There's a big difference between a band and just a bunch
of muthaf-----s on stage." - Benjie Porecki, keyboards

“Art is the only thing you
cannot push a button for. You have to stay up and burn the midnight oil. There
are no compromises.” – LEONTYNE PRICE

“Today we’ve learned to celebrate mediocrity. Back in the day we had creative
artists; today we have created artists.” – LIONEL RICHIE, TheNew York Times, 12Sep06

“Bad reviews I’ve gotten
never diminished the number of people in my audience; good reviews have never
added to the number of people in my audience; be your own critic.” – FRANK
SINATRA to FRANK SINATRA, Jr.

"I play to all people - all colors, all
creeds - drunk, sober, everybody." - FRANK SINATRA

"If you're
in my position, you're stuck in the spotlight, and all you see is a dark room
with a lot of cheering. It's kind of alienating." – STING,
RollingStone.com 14Jun05

"The hardest thing to be in songwriting is to be simple and yet profound. BILL
[WITHERS] seemed to understand intrinsically, instinctively, how to do that." -
STING

PETE TOWNSHEND on Punk Rock: "It
really was like the French Revolution. It could have ended up with the Beatles,
the Stones and the Who being beheaded."

"Looking back, I don't know
why we needed it to be quite so loud all the time." -- The WHO's PETE
TOWNSHEND, RollingStone.com 30Mar06

"There was a time when I had the blues -
I mean I really had it bad. I couldn't pay my light bill and I couldn't pay my
rent and I really had the blues. But today I can pay my rent and I can pay the
light bill and I still got the blues. So I must been born with 'em... That's my
religion - the blues is my religion." - MUDDY WATERS, Can't
Be Satisfied

"In the 70s, GEORGE CLINTON and PARLIAMENT
FUNKADELIC and EARTH WIND & FIRE, we were very serious about our music and who
we were trying to touch. I think that's why the music of the 70s has not died -
because it has a rejuvenating quality to it." - MAURICE WHITE

"If nobody throws all their rules at you,
you might make a song with no introduction." - BILL WITHERS,
Still Bill

On Life:

"The
critic has the pen, so they can write however they feel." - PLÁCIDO DOMINGO

"Extraordinary isn't it - that music can exist in the
same world as the basest treachery and ingratitude." - Claude Rains
as Hollenius in Deception

"Being human is a lot more
difficult than being on tour." -- Nine Inch Nails' TRENT REZNOR,
RollingStone.com, 21Oct05

"We're like
quarrelsome brothers, without having the same parents." -- KEITH RICHARDS
on MICK JAGGER, RollingStone.com 13Sep05

“The quality's gone down.
All they do is try and take the high out of everything. I do admit to scamming
a little bit more [morphine] out of the night nurse however." – Chemical
connoisseur KEITH RICHARDS on why he’s given up drugs, RollingStone.com
20Sep06

"I never plan anything, which is probably
the difference between Mick and myself. Mick needs to know what he's gonna do
tomorrow and I'm just happy to wake up to see who's hanging around. Mick's rock
and I'm roll." - KEITH RICHARDS, Stones in Exile

"The purpose of art is not only to show
life as it is, but to also show life as it should be." - PAUL ROBESON

"I always felt that the
musician's job was to provide an alternative source of information." -- BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN, RollingStone.com, 19Jun06

"I take
great pride in knowing that if I just met you, I could tell if you were on blow
. . ." -- Aerosmith's STEVEN TYLER, RollingStone.com, 28Feb06

"Fake it until you make it. Pretend to be somebody until that somebody turns
into you." - STEVEN TYLER

"One of the things I always tell my kids is that it's okay to head out for
'wonderful'. But on your way to 'wonderful' you're gonna have to pass through
'alright.' And when you get to 'alright' take a good look around and get used to
it 'cause that might be as far as you're gonna go." - BILL WITHERS,
Still Bill